They have strayed

In yesterday New York Times (January 28, 2014) columnist Joe Nocera’s column “From Your Friends at the N.R.A.” quotes verbatim excerpts from emails sent by them. (For the full article http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/28/opinion/nocera-from-your-friends-at-the-nra.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&_r=0)

 He begins his article with these nuggets:

“SEPT. 12, 2013 Subject: Obama wants to ban guns, but N.R.A. is giving guns away!

Announcing N.R.A.’s “BANNED GUNS RAFFLE.” Your chance to win 12 guns that Obama, Biden, Feinstein and Bloomberg want to Ban! 12 great guns — 12 chances to win! (Hurry — raffle ends October 21, 2013.)

SEPT. 26 Subject: Obama Signs U.N. Gun Ban Treaty

You know what this means. Now Obama and the U.N. are one BIG step closer to wiping out our Second Amendment freedom, our national sovereignty, and our American rule of law.....once and for all. Only you and I can stop Obama and the U.N., but we have to act NOW."

After reading the column, I remembered an important mitzvah God commanded us last week.  The Torah tells us: “Keep far from lies.” (Exodus 23:7) I wondered how people like Wayne LaPierre, the Executive Vice-President of the N.R.A. could get away with such statements. 

Last night I meditated upon Pete Seeger’s death and what he meant to me.  One of his greatest attributes was his dedication to truth and his courage to speak it at all times no matter what the consequences were.  Because of his devotion to the truth, many in our nation have come around to his point of view. While listening to his music on YouTube, he gave me the answer to my question above.  He sang his song “The Ross Perot Guide.” His song applies today to our politicians and people like LaPierre.

When something in my history is found,
Which contradicts the views that I propound,
Or shows that I perhaps am not the guy
I claim to be, here's what I usually do:

[Chorus (after each verse):]
I lie.
I simply boldly falsify.
I look the other feller in the eye,
And just deny, deny, deny.

I don't apologize. Not me. Instead,
I say I never said the things I said.
Nor did the things some people saw me do
When confronted by some things they know are true.

I hate the weasel words some slickies use
To blur the past or muddy up their views.
Not me. I'm blunt. One thing that makes me great
Is that I'll never dodge, or obfuscate

To hear him sing this song go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUb8RAyLf80

To LaPierre’s credit he didn’t abandon the truth completely, but only distance himself from it from time to time.  Every year over 30,000 Americans die due to gun violence and to countless others who injure themselves and others due to their carelessness.  Instead of proposing sane gun laws like universal background checks, limiting the killing capacity of semi-automatic guns to 10 rounds, or engineering safer guns, he proposes a different solution.

JAN. 23 Subject: 3 Stories. 6 Lives. 4 Accidents. 1 Solution.

What can you carry in your pocket that can be as powerful as your gun? Frankly, it’s a card with your name on it. And a phone number. A number that will mobilize your personal “Medical Team” to come to your aid, any time day or night, anywhere in the world if you’re traveling and suddenly land in the hospital. ...

Thanks to the N.R.A.’s incredible influence and buying power, you now have access to ... 60 response centers around the world, over 1,500 air ambulances worldwide, medical teams responsible for continual monitoring of your health around the world if you should require medical attention. 40,000 N.R.A. MEMBERS TRUST EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE PLUS.

 LaPierre and the N.R.A rarely draw close to the truth.  But if we stick to the truth we shall have a safer America to bequeath our children and grandchildren.